Alaska Senate Race

[silverscreenselect]

Apparently, there's something very strange going on in Alaska. With 99% of the precincts in, Stevens leads Begich 106,000+ to 103,000-, a difference of about 3400 votes. One would think it would be very difficult to come up with enough additional votes in a state that small (population wise) to overcome a 3400 vote deficit.

However according to a TV station in Anchorage, there may be as many as 75,000 uncounted votes, and obviously that could make a difference.

Which brings up a second question. How can you have 25% of the total vote still uncounted in a state three days after the election? If that number is anywhere near correct, Sarah Palin needs to do some investigating of the voting process in Alaska very quickly.

[Tocqueville3]

Apparently, there's something very strange going on in Alaska. With 99% of the precincts in, Stevens leads Begich 106,000+ to 103,000-, a difference of about 3400 votes. One would think it would be very difficult to come up with enough additional votes in a state that small (population wise) to overcome a 3400 vote deficit.

However according to a TV station in Anchorage, there may be as many as 75,000 uncounted votes, and obviously that could make a difference.

Which brings up a second question. How can you have 25% of the total vote still uncounted in a state three days after the election? If that number is anywhere near correct, Sarah Palin needs to do some investigating of the voting process in Alaska very quickly.

Rachael Maddow said the same thing last night.

Yes, I know...sometimes I watch Rachael Maddow. We have the same haircut. And sometimes I find her amusing.

[tlynn78]

Prolly the dog sled carried returns got delayed. Not completely joking, here.


t.

[silverscreenselect]

Prolly the dog sled carried returns got delayed. Not completely joking, here.


t.

Must have been one of those ice road truckers to haul that many ballots.

[nitrah55]

The other odd thing is that, even with the missing votes, turnout is nowhere near as high as anyone expected. What with Palin running, and two very contentious races, a lot of voters appear to have been attacked by moose on the way to the polls.

[MarleysGh0st]

Moose bites can be very serious.

[andrewjackson]

Moose bites can be very serious.

Uh, oh.

Keep an eye out for 142 Mexican Whooping Llamas.

[Flybrick]

Prolly the dog sled carried returns got delayed. Not completely joking, here.


t.

There are some remote, and I mean remote, towns, villages, hamlets, and just plain hermits up there. Whether it's enough to account for that many 'missing' ballots, I wouldn't begin to guess.

Alaska has the largest number of airplanes and pilots in the United States due to the sheer size and no other means of access to thousands upon thousands of square miles.

If you've never been there, it's very hard to imagine.

It's a BIG place.

[Appa23]

The other odd thing is that, even with the missing votes, turnout is nowhere near as high as anyone expected. What with Palin running, and two very contentious races, a lot of voters appear to have been attacked by moose on the way to the polls.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that McCain-Palin already had lost well before the close of the polls in Alaska.

[andrewjackson]

In Alaska's defense many states take about a week to go through all the absentee, early, and provisional ballots.

Nebraska is saying that it will be next week before they'll be done counting all the ballots in the tightly contested 2nd district presidential race.

I think Ohio has a rule that they have to wait 10 days before they can even start counting the provisional ballots.

I see reports that a three county area in California still has as many as 50,000 ballots to count.

The number of uncounted ballots in Alaska is high but may reflect the large number of absentee ballots cast.

[Flybrick]

In Alaska's defense many states take about a week to go through all the absentee, early, and provisional ballots.

Nebraska is saying that it will be next week before they'll be done counting all the ballots in the tightly contested 2nd district presidential race.

I think Ohio has a rule that they have to wait 10 days before they can even start counting the provisional ballots.

I see reports that a three county area in California still has as many as 50,000 ballots to count.

The number of uncounted ballots in Alaska is high but may reflect the large number of absentee ballots cast.

I'm such an idiot! Of course!

Many, many military folks having been stationed there at some point, keep Alaskan residency even after they move away (at least until they retire/leave military service.) With two Air Force bases, a large Army base, various Coast Guard stations, etc, the numbers involved probably are in the tens of thousands counting the spouses, eligible 18 year old children, etc.

For similar reasons, I kept Texas as my state of residency for many years.

[silverscreenselect]

In Alaska's defense many states take about a week to go through all the absentee, early, and provisional ballots.

Nebraska is saying that it will be next week before they'll be done counting all the ballots in the tightly contested 2nd district presidential race.

I think Ohio has a rule that they have to wait 10 days before they can even start counting the provisional ballots.

I see reports that a three county area in California still has as many as 50,000 ballots to count.

The number of uncounted ballots in Alaska is high but may reflect the large number of absentee ballots cast.

I'm such an idiot! Of course!

Many, many military folks having been stationed there at some point, keep Alaskan residency even after they move away (at least until they retire/leave military service.) With two Air Force bases, a large Army base, various Coast Guard stations, etc, the numbers involved probably are in the tens of thousands counting the spouses, eligible 18 year old children, etc.

For similar reasons, I kept Texas as my state of residency for many years.

This wouldn't be how many people might be eligible to vote.... it's how many people actually cast these ballots. 50,000 ballots in California is one thing, but 75,000 non-counted ballots in a state that only cast 210,000 total ballots is something else.

If the bulk of these uncounted ballots are military, then Stevens is probably in good shape.

BTW, the election in Minnesota is getting nastier as one precinct or township after another has come in after the fact with "revised" totals and the totals seem to all favor Al Franken, sometimes without a single extra vote for Coleman (or the 3rd party independent who got 15% of the vote) being found. Coleman's lead shrunk from 750 votes election night to 240 today. This isn't because of the recount, because the recount hasn't even started yet. At least one lawsuit has already been filed.

[wintergreen48]

Which brings up a second question. How can you have 25% of the total vote still uncounted in a state three days after the election? If that number is anywhere near correct, Sarah Palin needs to do some investigating of the voting process in Alaska very quickly.

They can't get to the votes to count them because they are all located on the other side of that bridge that Sarah Palin stopped.

[peacock2121]

Which brings up a second question. How can you have 25% of the total vote still uncounted in a state three days after the election? If that number is anywhere near correct, Sarah Palin needs to do some investigating of the voting process in Alaska very quickly.

They can't get to the votes to count them because they are all located on the other side of that bridge that Sarah Palin stopped.

tee hee

[Peter5858]

I'm such an idiot! Of course!

Many, many military folks having been stationed there at some point, keep Alaskan residency even after they move away (at least until they retire/leave military service.)

I would think military types (and other USG personnel subsequently posted overseas) would have a particular incentive to retain Alaska residency: they would presumably continue to receive the annual State of Alaska oil dividend, which can amount to a couple of thousand bucks per resident in any given year.

[andrewjackson]

In Alaska's defense many states take about a week to go through all the absentee, early, and provisional ballots.

Nebraska is saying that it will be next week before they'll be done counting all the ballots in the tightly contested 2nd district presidential race.

I think Ohio has a rule that they have to wait 10 days before they can even start counting the provisional ballots.

I see reports that a three county area in California still has as many as 50,000 ballots to count.

The number of uncounted ballots in Alaska is high but may reflect the large number of absentee ballots cast.

I'm such an idiot! Of course!

Many, many military folks having been stationed there at some point, keep Alaskan residency even after they move away (at least until they retire/leave military service.) With two Air Force bases, a large Army base, various Coast Guard stations, etc, the numbers involved probably are in the tens of thousands counting the spouses, eligible 18 year old children, etc.

For similar reasons, I kept Texas as my state of residency for many years.

This wouldn't be how many people might be eligible to vote.... it's how many people actually cast these ballots. 50,000 ballots in California is one thing, but 75,000 non-counted ballots in a state that only cast 210,000 total ballots is something else.

If the bulk of these uncounted ballots are military, then Stevens is probably in good shape.

BTW, the election in Minnesota is getting nastier as one precinct or township after another has come in after the fact with "revised" totals and the totals seem to all favor Al Franken, sometimes without a single extra vote for Coleman (or the 3rd party independent who got 15% of the vote) being found. Coleman's lead shrunk from 750 votes election night to 240 today. This isn't because of the recount, because the recount hasn't even started yet. At least one lawsuit has already been filed.

That was 50,000 votes in just three relatively small counties of California.

This article is from yesterday about the entire state of California but it says:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... 2985.story

1.6 million ballots are uncounted in California

Again, that's a lot in AK but not unbelievable.

[NellyLunatic1980]

After 15 days, they finally finished counting all of the votes. Begich has been declared the winner by about 3,700 votes.

So there will be no Sen. Sarah Palin.

Not yet, at least.

[peacock2121]

Good for them.